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Trump Backs Massive Middle East AI Hub to Counter China

William Attardi on May 28, 2025

President Donald Trump has signed off on a major agreement with the United Arab Emirates to build the largest artificial intelligence campus outside the United States. The agreement marks a sharp turn from the Biden-era policy, which limited chip exports to nations seen as too close to China. At the center of the pact is a 10-square-mile AI campus in Abu Dhabi, backed by 5 gigawatts of power—enough to support around 2.5 million of Nvidia’s flagship B200 chips………… The U.S. Commerce Department called the initiative the largest AI infrastructure project to date. UAE state-linked firm G42 will construct the site, but American companies will operate it and provide U.S.-managed cloud services across the region. The White House said the UAE has committed to building or financing equivalent data centers in the U.S., while also aligning its national security policies with American standards.  The project signals a deepening U.S. presence in Middle East tech infrastructure and a possible new chapter in global AI competition.  Trump Backs Massive Middle East AI Hub to Counter China – Newsweek

Big Tech’s Next AI Bet Is A ‘Watershed Moment,’ Analyst Says — And a $1 Trillion Opportunity by Shannon Carroll

William Attardi on May 19, 2025

At the core of this strategy is a growing alliance between Gulf governments and U.S. technology companies. The Middle East could rapidly become the next major frontier for artificial intelligence, and U.S. tech giants are lining up to cash in. Nvidia, Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon (AMZN), Alphabet (GOOGL), Palantir (PLTR), and Tesla (TSLA) are all positioning themselves in the region to be key players in what could be full-throttle AI buildout. In what Wedbush analysts are calling a “watershed moment” for Big Tech, recent developments in the region mean the AI boom might be rapidly shifting its center of gravity. A wave of investment in AI infrastructure across Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is signaling an acceleration in U.S. tech companies’ expansion abroad. According to a Monday note from analysts led by Dan Ives, the region is poised to become one of the most important global markets for AI over the next decade, potentially adding over $1 trillion.  Big Tech’s next AI bet is a ‘watershed moment,’ analyst says — and a $1 trillion opportunity

Trump Secures Historic $1.4 Trillion Investment from UAE to Boost U.S. Economy by Mike Jenkin

William Attardi on March 21, 2025

In a major economic development, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced a landmark $1.4 trillion, 10-year investment framework in the United States, following a high-level meeting with President Donald Trump this week at the White House. The announcement came after Trump hosted UAE National Security Advisor HH Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed in the Oval Office on Tuesday. The UAE’s commitment marks one of the largest foreign direct investment pledges in U.S. history and is expected to supercharge growth in key sectors such as artificial intelligence, energy, semiconductors, mining, and manufacturing. A consortium led by MGX (Abu Dhabi), BlackRock, Microsoft, and Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) welcomed NVIDIA and Elon Musk’s xAI into a partnership aimed at building next-generation AI data centers and energy infrastructure to solidify U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence. The massive economic commitment highlights the deepening relationship between the Trump administration and the UAE. The announcement is expected to generate tens of thousands of U.S. jobs, accelerate construction of AI and energy hubs, and position the United States as a top destination for strategic investment in emerging sectors.  Trump Secures Historic $1.4 Trillion Investment From UAE To Boost U.S. Economy

The Statue of Liberty was made with copper but due to oxidation, it turned green.

When the “Lady in the Harbor” first arrived in New York in 1886, she didn’t look like the mint-green icon we know today. In fact, for the first twenty years of her life, she stood as a towering, metallic beacon of reddish-gold. Designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and engineered by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, the statue was a gift from France to America. To build her, Bartholdi chose copper for three practical reasons:

  • Malleability:It could be hammered into elaborate, thin sheets.
  • Weight:Copper is lighter than stone or bronze, making it easier to ship 350 individual pieces across the Atlantic.
  • Durability:It was strong enough to survive a 27-day ocean voyage and the harsh winds of the harbor.

When she was unveiled on October 28, 1886, her skin—made of 300 copper sheets roughly the thickness of two pennies—shone with a bright, metallic brown luster. The transformation from “penny-colored” to “patina-green” wasn’t planned. Bartholdi actually expected the statue to age into a deeper, darker red. However, the unique environment of New York Harbor—a mix of salt air, moisture, and industrial pollution—triggered a process called oxidation.

The Timeline of Change:

  1. 1886–1900:The bright copper dulled into a dark, muddy brown.
  2. 1903:The first hints of a light green crust, or “patina,” began to appear.
  3. 1906:The color change was so controversial that Congress nearly stepped in. They appropriated $62,000 to paint the statue back to its original color, but the public protested, calling the idea “sacrilege.”
  4. 1910–1920:The statue was a patchy mix of brown and green until 1920, when the oxidation was complete, leaving her entirely teal.

While we now view the green color as iconic, it actually serves a vital structural purpose. The layer of verdigris (the green patina) acts as a protective shield. It seals the copper underneath, preventing the metal from further corrosion and weathering.  By the time the color fully changed, a new generation of immigrants had arrived in America seeing a green statue.